The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), took part in the first International Religious Summit, held by the Islamic Council and the Federal Government, in St. Petersburg, Russia, which concluded on Thursday, 17 October 2024.

In his address at the opening session of the Summit, Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Director of ICESCO’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue, expressed the Organization’s thanks for this invitation, which affirms the importance of international partnership in religious dialogue to build safe and coexisting human societies, calling for adopting the “civilizational diplomacy” approach proposed by ICESCO, as an innovative concept and an alternative to civilizational clash.

He pointed out that the Center for Civilizational Dialogue has adopted ICESCO’s open-door approach by attracting major parties capable of enhancing fruitful international cooperation, adding that the “read it to understand it” initiative is a rational initiative that seeks to establish communication based on the necessary intellectual courage for building human civilizational edifice.

The Summit adopted the recommendation proposed by the Director of ICESCO’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue, calling for strengthening Organization’s efforts to consolidate the concept of “civilizational diplomacy” and its promising aspirations within the framework of humanitarian partnership.

During the symposium, held by the International Public Law St Petersburg University, Ambassador Fathalrahman reviewed ICESCO’s efforts and projects in the field of cooperation with universities, in line with the vision of the Federation of Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), as well as ICESCO’s various programs and projects as a “youth Organization” that gives priority to youth in its activities, particulalry ICESCO Year of Youth.